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AI became a hammer: how to prevent every problem from looking like a nail

95% of enterprise GenAI pilots show no measurable return. 80% of AI projects fail to deliver the value they promised. Of the $30 to $40 billion spent on enterprise GenAI, only 5% of organisations see any P&L impact at all.

The problem is rarely the technology. It is that AI gets swung at every problem, whether or not it is a nail. Boards demand an AI strategy, vendors push frontier models, and committees run pilots into every function, indiscriminately. Each failed deployment erodes trust further, in management, in vendors, and in AI itself.

This white paper argues that the discipline of not using AI has become as strategically important as the discipline of using it, and gives executives a practical way to decide. It sets out three filters, combined into a single decision tree:

• Filter 1 — AI or not AI? Diagnose the root cause first. Many data problems are really process or culture problems, and no amount of AI will mop the floor while the tap is still running.
• Filter 2 — How to source it. Embedded, everyday or custom. Align the sourcing choice to the diagnosis and start with the right expectations. Only custom AI creates a moat.
• Filter 3 — Which AI. Four lanes with very different cost, accuracy and maturity: mainstream LLMs, specialised AI, right-sized small models, or wait for AI 2.0.

The paper closes with what to do on Monday morning, European deployment examples for each lane, and a full annex of sources.

By Xavier Bekaert, Mirko Vaars and Rick Hou.

Change for Good: A Groundbreaking New Book Reframes Strategy Through Purpose and Psychology

Vienna, November 6, 2025 — In a world of rising complexity and transformation fatigue, a bold new book redefines how strategy should be designed, decided, and delivered. Change for Good: Strategy for the Better by Prof. Dr. Edward Huizenga launches today at the prestigious Peter Drucker Forum, offering leaders a compelling new guide for purpose-led change rooted in human behavior.

Blending academic insight with real-world application, Change for Good bridges a crucial gap in modern leadership thinking. While most strategy books overlook psychology, and psychology texts ignore strategic execution, this work brings them together—showing how purpose, decision clarity, and behavioral insight can drive lasting impact.

“Purpose is not an accessory to strategy - it is strategy,” says Prof. Huizenga. “Change fails not because people resist it, but because it's often devoid of meaning. This book shows how to make transformation matter—and stick.”

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The book is built on three core drivers for organizational success:

• Purpose at the core: Moving beyond slogans to deeply embedded strategy
• Decision clarity: From confusion to courage using frameworks like DRIVE and BEAT
• Behavioral change: Designing habits, nudges, and mindsets that sustain transformation
  

Drawing on insights from Roche, DSM-Firmenich, Roche, Diversey, Unilever and more companies, the book introduces practical tools and models such as the Purpose Maturity Ladder, D.R.I.V.E. decision governance, and the B.E.A.T. dilemma framework — making it a powerful companion for executives, consultants, academics, and students.

The launch is accompanied by a panel session at the 17th Global Peter Drucker Forum titled “Next Area Leadership: All Hands on Deck”, featuring leaders from business and academia exploring the future of leadership, values-based decisions, and behaviorally grounded transformation.

Change for Good: Strategy for the Better will be available online and at leading book retailers starting November, 2025. 

Change for Good: Strategy for the Better will be available online and at leading book retailers starting November 6 th , 2025.

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About the author

Prof. Dr. Edward Huizenga is one of Europe’s leading strategy and behavioral change experts. He is Endowed Professor of Strategy & Change at Maastricht University School of Business and Economics | UMIO and serves as managing partner at Benthurst Consulting. Prof. Dr. Huizenga advises global organizations on purpose-led transformation.

He has published multiple management books and was awarded the 2024 Business Achievement Award by Beta Gamma Sigma for his societal leadership impact with the Initiative Handwashing Angels which he founded back in 2019.

It’s the word of the moment – children’s education and health – and there is little wonder why. We make handwashing a good hygiene behaviour at school for every child everywhere.

Right for education

It is our mission to fight for the health and education of children. We do not want children to miss school due to infectious diseases. Therefore, we learn the children to wash their hands and ultimately adopt a healthy behavior at school, at home and in their communities. Access to education is what we believe in, and we promote hand hygiene learning for all. We make hand washing understood by keeping it easy, desirable, rewarding and, essentially, making it a habit.

Global partnership, local impact

The Hand Washing Angels is a joint initiative of Maastricht University, Maastricht University’s School of Business & Economics, UMIO, Diversey and Benthurst & Co. Hand Washing Angels started in 2019 in Kenya, and is currently operating at schools in Kenya, Uganda, and The Netherlands. In 2023, the progamme will expand to Asia, starting with Mumbai, India and Hanoi, Vietnam. Hand Washing Angels is a not-for-profit organisation, empowering the children, schools and local communities.

Understanding the Next Generation of Insurance Customers

Insurance customers are diverse, with needs and expectations that evolve over time and across generations. For younger customers, these expectations are shaped more by their experiences in other industries than by prior interactions with insurers—posing unique challenges to traditional insurance models.

The Center for Risk and Insurance at Zurich University of Applied Sciences explores these dynamics, offering insights into how young customers navigate becoming insurance clients for the first time. This study sheds light on generational shifts in behavior and highlights opportunities for insurers to enhance customer-centric strategies.

By understanding these emerging trends, insurers can refine their products, services, and interactions to better connect with the next generation of clients. This work aims to spark meaningful discussions and drive innovation in creating more customer-focused insurance solutions.

Carlo Pugnetti, ZHAW, Center for Risk & Insurance

Xavier Bekaert, Benthurst & Co.

The Knowledge Enterprise: Mastering Business Innovation

‍Discover the blueprint for breakthrough growth with The Knowledge Enterprise, a second edition that delves into the art of driving business innovation. Featuring insights from industry leaders, this book uncovers the secrets of transition leadership, the power of customer engagement, and the transformative potential of open innovation.

Building on the success of its first edition, this volume explores the critical strategies and organizational dynamics that push companies toward game-changing innovations. It offers a roadmap for future growth, strategic decision-making, and practices that redefine how businesses excel in today's competitive landscape.

Through compelling real-world examples from companies like Royal DSM, High Tech Campus Eindhoven, Newtricious, and Janssen Pharmaceuticals, readers will gain actionable insights to reshape industry boundaries, create distinctive assets, and achieve meaningful societal impact. The Knowledge Enterprise is an essential guide for mastering innovation and positioning your business for the future.

By Dr. Edward Huizenga

Strategy meets behaviour

Does it make sense to design strategies in disruptive times? Yes it does! The question is how to build the business of the future and design a strategy that really works in the long run. Design principles like aspiration, strategic discipline, innovation and disruptive behaviour can guide us to a more sustainable future for all. It becomes increasingly apparent that organisations that understand these design principles will be more successful.

By presenting numerous insightful examples, original ideas and key questions, Edward Huizenga’s recent publication Strategy Meets Behaviour: New Design Principles to Innovate reveals how to build a sustainable strategy along six design principles.

Six design principles for strategy and innovation

01. ASPIRATION

Aspiration illustrates how to define a winning challenge in order to realise something bigger.

02. DISCIPLINE

The strategic discipline principle deals with the balance act between playing and winning.

03. MOVEMENT

The motivation of people and teams and their drivers to adjust and accept chance of failure.

04. BEHAVIOUR

This is all about (re)shaping the behaviour of customers, leaders and employees.

05. INNOVATION

Innovation is an investment design rule; a balancing act of exploration over exploitation.

06. IMPACT

This refers to taking responsibility by providing life changing values or social impact.

Driving Climate Action in Insurance: A Call for Leadership

The insurance industry must step off the sidelines and take a proactive role in addressing the challenges of climate change. While uncertainties in modeling and customer expectations have slowed progress, growing demand for ESG-driven initiatives signals a shift. Insurers are beginning to integrate sustainability criteria into products, services, and operations—requiring deep collaboration across organizations and supply chains.

Key areas like investment and risk management are evolving to meet the moment, but claims handling remains a missed opportunity for broader societal impact. By adopting best practices in corporate responsibility and redefining their purpose beyond financial goals, insurers can align stakeholders and elevate their role as a force for social good in the 21st century.

This transformation is not just necessary—it's an opportunity to lead.

Carlo Pugnetti, Thomas Gebert, Miriam Hürster, Edward Huizenga, Markus Moor, Lukas Stricker, Herbert Winistörfer, Angela Zeier Röschmann